Turkish Pasta Ground Turkey (Printable)

Pasta tossed with spiced ground turkey, creamy yogurt sauce, and paprika butter for a flavorful meal.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or shells)
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Ground Turkey Mixture

03 - 1 lb lean ground turkey
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 1 tsp ground cumin
08 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
09 - ½ tsp ground black pepper
10 - 1 tsp salt

→ Yogurt Sauce

11 - 1 ¼ cups plain Greek yogurt
12 - 1 clove garlic, grated
13 - ½ tsp salt
14 - Juice of ½ lemon

→ Paprika Butter

15 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
16 - 1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
17 - ½ tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnishes

18 - 2 tbsp fresh dill or parsley, finely chopped
19 - Extra yogurt or lemon wedges (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add ground turkey, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until browned and cooked through.
04 - Add ground cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt to the turkey mixture. Stir well and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
05 - In a bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, grated garlic, salt, and lemon juice until smooth. Set aside.
06 - Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add paprika and Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes if using, swirling gently until fragrant but not browned. Remove from heat.
07 - Toss drained pasta with the turkey mixture, adding reserved pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce.
08 - Spread a generous spoonful of yogurt sauce on each plate. Top with pasta and turkey mixture. Drizzle with paprika butter and garnish with fresh dill or parsley. Serve with extra yogurt or lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's ready in under 35 minutes, which means you can have restaurant-quality flavor on a random Tuesday without any planning.
  • The yogurt sauce cools and balances the warm spices in a way that feels like a small culinary miracle every single time.
  • High in protein and genuinely crave-worthy, so you'll actually want to make it again instead of it being a one-off health kick meal.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water—this is the secret to creamy sauce without any cream, and it's the difference between a dry dish and one that feels luxurious.
  • Your yogurt sauce needs acid (lemon) and salt to taste bright, not bland and sour; taste it before plating and adjust boldly.
  • The paprika butter must not brown or it tastes bitter and burnt instead of toasted and aromatic—keep your heat medium and stay nearby.
03 -
  • A splash of reserved pasta water right before serving keeps everything silky; add it gradually so you don't oversaturate the dish.
  • If you can find Aleppo pepper at a specialty or Middle Eastern market, it's worth seeking out because its fruity, complex heat is different from anything else.
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